Vehicle spring



March 24, `192s. 1,530,729

' F. J. LAHER` VEHICLE SPRING Filed'Jam. 26, 1922 Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

FRANK J. nanna, en sEATTLn, WASHINGTON.

g l 1,530,729 PATENT OFFICE.'

` VEHICLE SPRING.

Application lefl January 26, 1922. Serial No. 531,895.A

To all whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, FRANK. J. linnen, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Seattle, county of- King, and State of lVashington, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle lll Springs, ofk which the following is a specifica-tion.

My invention relates to laminated vehicle springs, and more particularly to improvements in springs of that type comprising va plurality `of leaves arranged 1n supernn posed relation; the principal object of the present invention'being to provide Vmeans v whereby the leaves may be retained, when V assembled, against any longitudinal dis-v placement and in to each other.

A further object of thev invention is to provide lugs, or protuberances, on the' side edges of the leaves of a spring which are so located that they will register in alinement and, when the spring is mounted, engage or cooperate with the mounting clips in such manner that relativey longitudinal movement is prevented and parts are held properly in position.

A' still further objectof the invention resides in the specific arrangement of the lugs on the leaves of springs for different purposes and with which it is desired to use different forms of mounting clips.

Another obje-et of t1 vide as independent art s of manufacture, spring leaves equipped with protuberances at the edges thereof which may serve as means for retaining the spring with which the particular leaf is assembled against longitudinal displacement.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the iinproved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereiny Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle Vspring constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a central portion of the spring, illustrating the location of the retaining lugs on opposite edges of its leaves and their functional relation with respect to the retaining clips.

Figure 8 is a similar view, wherein the lugs are located in spaced relation on the same side of the spring.

proper functional relation invention is to pro- Figure l is a transverse, sectional view, taken on the line 4 4: in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion ofaspring wherein lugs areformedin two alined rows centrally on opposite sides of the spring in such manner as to receive a holding clip of a special character thereover.

Figure 6 is a-n elevation of a part of a spring, illustratingthe combination with a spring of the present type of aninverted channeled body support which serves. also y as a means of retaining the spring leaves properly alined, Y

Figure 7V is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line v7---7 in Figure 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- ,Y -I

l designates, as a whole, a vehicle spring constructed in vaccordance with the present invention. This comprises a plurality of leaves 2 arranged in superimposed relation:

`the lower leaf being relatively shortand is secured thereto byVA means of two U-shaped olips'6 Vwhich engage the spring inl spaced relation and have their ends extended through the side flanges 5', of the axle, andv provided with nuts 7 whereby they are drawn tight to hold the spring rigidly mounted: Y

V'Io prevent possible creeping, or longitudinal movement, ofthe spring, or the leaves thereof, I have providedlugs, or-protuben ances,`8 on the opposite side edges of each vleaf and these lugs are so located that they will register in alinement on opposite sides of the spring and will lie in abutment with the side portions of the spring clips 6, so, that by suchvengagement, the leaves are prevented from possible longitudinal movement relative to -each other or upon the supporting axle.

In Figures 1 and 2, I have illustrated these' lugs as located on opposite side edges of the leaves, opposite from each other, transversely of the spring with the lugs at one side engaging with the inner edge of one clip While those at the other side engage the 'opposite' clip; while, in Figure 3, I havel Vshown the two rows of lugs 8 located on the same side of the springend engaging the two clips, this arrangement being preferable on some occasions and accomplishing the result as well as the former.

In Figure 5, I have shown the leaves of the spring equipped with lugs disposed at directlyV opposite points on theV side edges of the lea-ves so as to form a sort of tongue on each side of the spring, and about the spring at this point, is mounted an inverted channel like character is fitted over the spring in a direction parallel therewith, and

this has vertical .grooves 16` in its side walls adapted to receive the alined lugs therein. This channeled support not only serves as a supportingv means for a vehicle body but also retains the leaves of the spring alined and against possible displacement.V

, Springs constructed as described and illustrated are not weakened by having bolt holes, or notches, therein as are the ordinary types of springs and are, therefore, not so liable to break under load or rebound. They may be more easily and quickly assembled and for different purposes, may be provided with lugs in the various locations illustrated.

It is further apparent that leaves for springs of this character could be manufactured and supplied to dealers to be kept in stock and that should a leaf of a spring, for any reason, become broken it could be removed and replaced from the dealers stock without necessitating the purchase of an entire spring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

In combination, a spring comprising a plurality of superimposed leaves with protuberances at oppositeside edges arranged in vertical alinement, and a downwardly opening channeled body supporting member mounted upon the spring comprising side portions disposed along opposite sides of the spring, having grooves therein for receiving the protuberances whereby the leaves are retained in functional relation.

Signed at Seattle, yWashington, this 21st day of January, 1922.

FRANK J. LAHER. 

